Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin, is known for adapting to the situation at hand. At least, that’s what he aims for. With a powerhouse like Ben Roethlisberger in his prime, Tomlin led a more daring offensive charge. However, in later years, he made ball security a core principle, adjusting his strategy accordingly.
One contentious issue has been his approach to the middle of the field. Under Tomlin, the Steelers have been hesitant to throw to this area as frequently as other teams. The reasoning? It’s assumed to be a hotspot for turnovers, making it an area to tread carefully. Mark Kaboly from The Athletic believes this is no accident.
“Mike Tomlin has been clear about this strategy. Things can go awry when you target the middle. He’s said it before,” Kaboly explains about the Steelers’ head coach. “Maybe it’s not something he’s shared with the public until now, but that’s always been his approach. He avoids turnovers, seeing them predominantly originating from the middle.”
In my experience, I don’t recall Tomlin explicitly linking this part of the field to their ball-security strategy in public statements. Yet, he’s been forthright that protecting the ball is paramount, especially given the offense’s current dynamics.
A notable factor influencing their play style is Russell Wilson. Even before joining the Steelers, Wilson often avoided targeting the middle, more so than his counterparts. Last year, out of 97 deep or intermediate throws, only 33 were aimed at this region—a mere one-third. Comparatively, Patrick Mahomes favored the middle on 42% of 180 throws, and Joe Burrow did so on over 40% of 200 attempts.
Consider Justin Fields’ stats: with Tomlin’s Steelers, only 11 out of 41 deeper passes went over the middle. This ratio surpasses Wilson’s in caution. Despite Fields being taller and arguably better suited for such throws, the team remained conservative.
Over the past five years or so, Tomlin’s philosophy has been clear: ball security is key to the Steelers’ triumphs. Without it, as seen during Mitch Trubisky’s tenure, the team has faltered. However, there’s a point to be made about whether this ultra-cautious strategy is perhaps stifling the team more than protecting it.
